Ultimate New York Sales Tax Guide

In this guide, we'll cover all you need to know about New York sales tax. 

We'll explore how you can calculate sales tax rates for counties and cities in New York and answer a few other common questions you might have. 

We'll also show you how to collect and file sales tax in New York. And if sales tax filing looks like a lot of work, we'll also share a white glove sales tax solution to ensure you stay compliant throughout the entire sales tax lifecycle. 

New York Sales Tax Rate Range 2023

New York has a minimum sales tax rate of 4%. 

In addition to the state sales tax, counties, cities, and towns can collect local sales tax of up to 4.875%. 

For instance, Monticello, a city in Sullivan County, has a sales tax rate of 8.000%. This includes the New York sales tax rate of 4.000% and Sullivan County sales tax rate of 4.000%.

Meanwhile, a few other cities in Sullivan County, like Wurtsboro, impose a special tax rate of 0.38% along with a 4.000% state sales tax and a Sullivan County tax of 3.750%. This brings the total sales tax rate to 8.125%.

Some counties in New York don't impose a county tax rate. Instead, its cities and local governments impose local sales taxes as high as 4.875%.

For example, Flushing in Queens County has a sales tax rate of 8.875%, which is the highest sales tax rate in New York. It consists of a 4.000% New York sales tax rate, a 4.500% local tax imposed by New York City, and a special tax of 0.38%.

How to Calculate Sales Tax in New York

You need to add these rates to calculate tax in New York accurately:

• State tax
• Local tax (also known as county/city tax)
• Special tax

For instance, let's calculate the sales tax rate of Huntington, New York.

• New York state sales tax of 4.000%
• Suffolk County sales tax of 4.250%
• Special tax of 0.375% imposed by Metropolitan Commuter Transportation District.

This brings the total sales tax rate of Huntington to 8.635%.

Select your city here for a full overview of your city’s sales tax rates.

Sales Tax Rates in New York by County

Let's take a look at the sales tax rate in various New York counties:

County Name	Tax Rate
Albany County	8.000%
Allegany County	8.500%
Bronx County	8.875%
Broome County	8.000%
Cattaraugus County	8.000%
Cayuga County	8.000%
Chautauqua County	8.000%
Chemung County	8.000%
Chenango County	8.000%
Clinton County	8.000%
Columbia County	8.000%
Cortland County	8.000%
Delaware County	8.000%
Dutchess County	8.125%
Erie County	8.750%
Essex County	8.000%
Franklin County	8.000%
Fulton County	8.000%
Genesee County	8.000%
Greene County	8.000%
Hamilton County	8.000%
Herkimer County	8.250%
Jefferson County	8.000%
Kings County	8.875%
Lewis County	8.000%
Livingston County	8.000%
Madison County	8.000%
Monroe County	8.000%
Montgomery County	8.000%
Nassau County	8.625%
Niagara County	8.000%
Oneida County	8.750%
Onondaga County	8.000%
Ontario County	7.500%
Orange County	8.125%
Orleans County	8.000%
Oswego County	8.000%
Otsego County	8.000%
Putnam County	8.375%
Queens County	8.875%
Rensselaer County	8.000%
Richmond County	8.875%
Rockland County	8.375%
Saratoga County	7.000%
Schenectady County	8.000%
Schoharie County	8.000%
Schuyler County	8.000%
Seneca County	8.000%
St Lawrence County	8.000%
Steuben County	8.000%
Suffolk County	8.625%
Sullivan County	8.000%
Tioga County	8.000%
Tompkins County	8.000%
Ulster County	8.000%
Warren County	7.000%
Washington County	7.000%
Wayne County	8.000%
Westchester County	8.375%
Wyoming County	8.000%
Yates County	8.000%

Next, let's check out how sales tax is collected in New York.

Collecting Sales Tax in New York 

Here are the answers to some common questions you may have:

Do I have to Collect New York Sales Tax from Customers?

Retailers who meet these two requirements are required to collect sales tax in New York: 

• Has sales tax nexus in New York
• Sells taxable products or services in New York

The New York Tax Department provides a handy guide on who should register for sales tax.

What Creates Sales Tax Nexus in New York?

Vendors selling goods and services in New York must register and collect sales tax from New York buyers.  

Factors that create sales tax nexus include: 

• Economic Nexus: When you sell goods worth $500,000 per year in gross revenue and make sales in more than 100 separate transactions in the last 4 quarters.
• Physical Location: When you have a warehouse, office, or distribution center.
• Employee Location: A company with employees or any other type of representation in New York should pay taxes.
• Affiliate Nexus: A taxable sale happens when an out-of-state business receives substantial sales from New York. They must register as a vendor and obtain a Certificate of Authority from the New York State Department of Taxation and Finance.
• Trade Shows: Participating in trade shows for more than 14 days and selling goods will create a sales nexus in New York. 
• Tangible Personal Property: Sales of tangible personal property are subject to New York sales tax unless specifically exempt. 

Do I Have to Collect Sales Tax from New York Customers if I Sell on Amazon, Walmart, Ebay, or Etsy?

No. 

New York has a marketplace facilitator tax law, which means that marketplaces like Amazon and eBay are required to collect sales tax on behalf of 3rd party sellers on their platforms. 

If you have a sales tax nexus in New York, keep in mind that you're still required to collect sales tax on your other non-marketplace New York sales.

Read more about marketplace facilitator sales tax law here.

Taxable Products in New York

Most tangible personal property and services like raw materials, artistic items, and a few grocery items like soda, beer, candy, and bottled water are taxable.

However, like some other states, New York avoids imposing taxes on basic necessities like medical supplies and items purchased using food stamps.

Let's take a closer look at how items are taxed in New York: 

Are groceries taxable in New York? 

Groceries like vegetables, dairy products, nuts, baby food, etc., are non-taxable in New York.

Read how taxes are collected on groceries across the United States for additional information.

Is clothing taxable in New York?

Clothing and footwear sold under $110 are exempt from New York State and New York City sales tax. Some other counties also exempt clothing sold for under $110 from local sales tax, but others do not.

Are digital products taxable in New York?

Digital products are tax-exempt in New York.

Is Software-as-a-Service (SaaS) Taxable in New York?

SaaS is taxable in New York.

Are Services Taxable in New York?

Some services are taxable in New York. 

They include:

• Parking
• Security
• Interior design
• Amusement admissions
• Hotels and lodging
• Storage
• Telephone answering services
• Protective and detective services
• Social and athletic clubs
• Some miscellaneous personal services

Read more about which services are taxable in New York.

Tax-exempt Items

Some tax-exempt items in New York are:

• Purchases by vendors that are intended for resale, like computer hardware for software development.

• Building or installing a capital improvement. A capital improvement is an addition or alteration that adds value to the real property and is intended to be a permanent installation. For example, air cleaners, heaters, installing kitchen cabinets, etc.

• Parking service receipts paid to a homeowners' association by its members.

• Laundering, dry cleaning, tailoring, weaving, pressing, shoe repairing, and shoe shining.

• Food and drinks like dairy products, 70-100% non-carbonated natural beverages, unheated coffee and tea.

• Medicines, like antibiotics, birth control pills, and medical supplies, like hearing aids. 

• Feminine hygiene products like sanitary pads and vaginal creams.

• Newspapers and periodicals. Periodicals should be published at least four times a year to qualify for sales tax exemption. They should also contain articles related to science, art, sports, etc., be available for public use, and shouldn't constitute a book when the issues are put together.

• Property or services used in farming or commercial horseboarding, including fuel and utilities

• Sales by funeral homes.

• Commercial vessels, like cabs.

• Commercial aircraft, certain related property, and fuel. This includes general aviation aircraft and property and services related to their maintenance as well.

• Property and utilities used in research and development

• US, NY official flags and military service flags, prisoner of war flags, and blue star banners.

• Manufacturing of machinery, equipment, and fuel. 

But to collect sales tax, you need a sales tax permit. Let's find out how you can get one.

How to Register for a New York Seller's Permit

You can register for a New York seller's permit or sales tax permit online at the New York Business Express website.

Do I Need a New York seller's Permit if I'm only a Wholesaler? 

Yes, you must register for a New York seller's permit even if you only sell products for resale and aren't required to charge sales tax on those sales. 

Do I Need a New York Seller's Permit if I Only Sell Temporarily in the State?

Yes, vendors who only make sales in New York on a temporary basis are still required to register for a New York seller's permit. Temporary vendors must indicate the start and end dates over which they will do business in the state.

How to Collect Sales Tax in New York

New York is a destination-based sales tax sourcing state. 

This means that if you make taxable sales to buyers in New York, you are required to collect sales tax at the total combined sales tax rate of the buyer's ship-to location. 

Should You Collect Sales Tax on Shipping Charges in New York? 

Yes, shipping charges are considered part of the taxable sale in New York and should be taxed.

Learn about sales tax on shipping in every US state here.

How to File and Pay Sales Tax in New York

When your sales tax filing due date approaches, you can file New York sales tax returns in multiple ways.

• File and pay online: Remit New York sales tax with New York Web File.

• File and pay through the Promptax program: If you have taxable receipts of more than $500,000 or have an annual liability for prepaid sales tax on motor fuel and diesel motor fuel exceeding $5 million, you may have to participate in the Promptax program. You'll be notified by mail by the Tax Department if you're eligible.

• File and pay by mail: You can also file by mailing in a paper form. You'll need to choose the specific form for your filing frequency here. Further, New York requires that most filers file online.

• Let Zamp handle your New York sales tax so you never have to worry about a sales tax return again! 

Next, let's find answers to a few FAQs regarding New York sales taxes. 

FAQs on Paying and Filing New York Sales Tax

Here are some commonly asked questions and their answers:

What Is Use Tax?

Use tax is imposed on the use of taxable items and services in New York when you don't pay sales tax.

You may have to pay use tax if you use products:

• Made outside of New York State
• Bought over the Internet from businesses that are located outside of New York State
• In a different local taxing jurisdiction in the state from where they were purchased or where they were delivered.
• From an inventory to use for your business
• That is manufactured, processed, or assembled by your business

I didn't Collect any New York Sales Tax During this Period. Do I still Need to File a Return?

Yes, even if you didn't collect any sales tax, you are required to file a “zero return” to New York on your due date.

Can I Get a Vendor Collection Credit on My New York Sales Tax?

If you pay sales tax on time and have no tax liability, you may be eligible for vendor collection credit.

The vendor collection credit is 5% of the taxes and fees reported on your return. This may come up to a maximum of $200 for each quarterly or annual reporting period.

What Is the Penalty for Filing and/or Paying New York Sales Tax Late?

New York has tiers of penalties when it comes to filing or paying sales tax late:

Late Filing	Penalty
Filed but did not remit tax due.	10% of the tax due for the first month and 1% for each additional month or part of a month tax is not paid; penalty not to exceed 30% of the tax due.
Omit more than 25% of the taxes required to be shown on the return.	10% of the tax you failed to report.
Fraudulently fail to file or pay sales tax.	Double the amount of tax due, plus interest on the unpaid tax paid at the greater of either 14.5% or a rate set by the Tax Commissioner.

Can I Get an Extension on Filing My New York Sales Tax Return? 

Yes, you can request an extension on time to file, but not on time to pay.

How Often will I Be Required to File and Pay Sales tax in New York? 

New York will assign you a filing frequency when you register for your seller's permit. New York filing periods are monthly, quarterly, and annually.

Filing Frequency	Criteria
Annually	You only make wholesale sales but don't plan to collect sales tax
Quarterly	You don't qualify for annual filing; most New York sales tax filers fall into this frequency
Monthly (AKA “Part-Quarterly”)	Your combined amount of taxable sales in New York in any quarter is $300,000 or more

New York Sales Tax Due Dates

New York part quarterly (i.e. monthly) sales tax filing due dates are:

Taxable Period	Filing Due Date
January 2023	February 21, 2023
February 2023	March 20, 2023
March 2023	April 20, 2023
April 2023	May 22, 2023
May 2023	June 20, 2023
June 2023	July 20, 2023
July 2023	August 21, 2023
August 2023	September 20, 2023
September 2023	October 20, 2023
October 2023	November 20, 2023
November 2023	December 20, 2023
December 2023	January 22, 2024

Let's take a look at the New York quarterly sales tax filing due dates:

Taxable Period	Filing Due Date
Q1 (March-May) 2023	June 20, 2023
Q2 (June-Aug) 2023	September 20, 2023
Q3 (Sept-Nov) 2023	December 20, 2023
Q4 (Dec-Feb)  2023	March 20, 2024

New York annual sales tax filing due dates are:

Taxable Period	Filing Due Date
Year 2023	January 20, 2024

Let The Experts Handle Your Sales Taxes

Running a business is exciting, but dealing with sales taxes can be a real pain.

Well, say hello to Zamp!

Zamp is a white glove solution that offers precise calculations and click-to-approve registrations and filings to manage and file your taxes on time. So, instead of stressing about your sales taxes, you can spend more time making your business even more awesome.

Ready to give Zamp a try? Get started now!